Secrets
by Faisoru
Summary: Kiba has accidently revealed his feelings to Hinata. She had rejected him. Now Hinata is starting to wonder if that was a mistake because she could be falling for him. KibaHina
1. Confessions

**Note:** I've created a forum for KibaHina, and I am in need of members! If you're interested, the link is in the bio.

_Disclaimer_: I do not own Naruto. Sad, isn't it?

Summary: Kiba want Hinata to stay behind for their next mission, but Hinata follows the two of them. A conversation with Shino makes Kiba realize something that he never knew, as well as Hinata. (OneShot: KibaHina).

Secrets

Hinata slowly opened the wooden door, and peeked shyly into the house, "Kiba-kun, Shino-kun?" She was supposed to be meeting her teammates at Kiba's house, as Kiba had ordered yesterday afternoon. Team eight had been assigned to an important mission last week, and they were leaving tonight. Their mission was to retrieve a lost scroll, but the conditions were rough and the scroll would be tough to track. That's why team eight had been assigned to this mission, they specialized in survival and tracking. Their sensei though, was away on personal business.

The scrolls contained important information about Kohana. If it wasn't returned quickly, then it could mean war may descend on the village. That's why a few good ninjas, teams ten and seven to name two of them, had been chosen to stay behind and protect the town, just in case.

"Hey, Hinata, come on in," Kiba said, sinking deeper into the couch he was seated on. Shino sat across from him in a chair, and nodded at Hinata as she entered the house.

_I wonder what Kiba-kun could want to talk with us about?_ Hinata sat down in another chair that was beside the couch. She looked around the room. There were pictures of various family members, and dogs hanging on the walls. When she was seated, Shino turned to Kiba, "So why have you called us here?"

Kiba stretched his arms across the back of the couch, "Actually, I really only needed to talk to Hinata about something."

Hinata's eyes widened, "M-me?" She squeaked.

Kiba opened his mouth to say something, but shut it abruptly and glared over at Shino who was watching the two silently, "Do you mind?"

Without a word, the bug-loving ninja rose from his seat and left the room. Kiba sighed and turned back to Hinata, "Look, you've gotten a lot stronger and everything, Hinata, and as much as we could use you on this mission…" He paused, a light blush forming on his cheeks. His eyes slowly drifted down to the suddenly interesting leather material of the couch. He hadn't expected it to be this hard to tell her that he wanted her to stay behind for this one. He glanced up, shaking his blush away.

"Kiba-kun?" Hinata asked. Anticipation had etched its way onto her face.

"I think you should stay here," Kiba said so quickly that he even startled himself.

Hinata wrung her hands together nervously. She hadn't expected him to say that. Was the mission really that dangerous? Was she really that weak?

"But I-" She said in a voice barely above a whisper, but she was interrupted by Shino re-entering the room. He walked over to where the two were seated and looked down at Kiba, "If we want to get anywhere before night fall, we need to leave now."

Kiba glanced at Hinata one last time, a small frown forming on his lips. He then looked up at Shino, nodded, and lifted himself off of the couch. Hinata tried to say something to convince them that she wouldn't be a burden, but she couldn't find her voice. Without a word, she watched her teammates walk out the door. The door closed just as quietly as when she had opened it, and they were gone.

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Kiba stuffed his hands into his pockets. He could feel a soft breeze that ruffled his black jacket and short brown locks. He felt Shino's eyes on him, questioning his actions of leaving their teammate behind, but he ignored it. He headed towards the back of the house, where his faithful dog was asleep.

"Let's go, Akamaru," Kiba called. The dog perked up and ran towards his master. The two ninja turned and headed towards the gates of Kohana, Akamaru at their heels.

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Hinata wiped the small tears that were forming in the corners of her eyes. She couldn't think of any reason for them to leave her behind. Sure, they had always worried about her safety, but never anything this extreme.

_The mission must have been a very dangerous one…or maybe I'm just too weak._ She thought, with a tiny sniffle. _But why did Kiba-kun tell me, and not Shino-kun? _

She stood up, trying to stop the relentless, tiny tears from flowing down her cheeks. She didn't want to be weak anymore, and she wouldn't be left behind. Hinata took a deep breath, trying to muster up what little courage she had.

_N-naruto-kun wouldn't want to be left behind. I told myself I would try to be braver…_

"I-I'm going to follow them." Hinata said to herself. "But I'll have to be careful that they don't notice me…How am I going to do that?" She looked around the room, with wide curious eyes. Her gaze fell on the gray hooded sweatshirt that was carelessly draped over one of the chairs on the other side of the room.

Hinata remembered Kiba telling her about one of the fights that he had. Kiba had left that jacket as a decoy for his enemy to find, to give himself more time to escape. His opponent had worn the jacket, to mask his scent from Kiba's powerful sense of smell, and had snuck up on Kiba and Akamaru.

Hinata crossed the room gently lifted the jacket from the back of the chair. She slipped it around her shoulders, wrapping it around herself. It was a little big for her, but it did smell like Kiba.

_I could use this to mask my scent from Kiba…but I guess I'll just have to hope that Shino-kun doesn't notice me._

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Hinata fanned herself as she walked around the streets of Kohana. Kiba's jacket was heavy, and the extra layer of clothing was making her sweat.

_I guess I can take it off for now…_She slid the jacket off.

"Hey, Hinata!" A rather loud and obnoxious voice called out to her. Hinata nearly dropped the jacket in surprise.

"N-naruto-kun?" She blushed, and felt herself start to teeter back and forth. Hinata managed to shake the feeling away, as the blonde haired ninja came running up to her.

"What cha' doing? And why do you have dog boy's jacket?" Naruto asked, pointing to the article of gray clothing in her arms. Hinata began to fiddle with the fabric in between her fingers, "Well…I um."

Naruto's face contorted into a puzzled look. _She's really weird…_

"Are you sick or somethin' today, Hinata?" Naruto asked. Then again, she always looked sick when she was around him. Her face got all red and she always looked like she was ready to fall over.

"No!" The dark haired girl responded quickly, but somewhat meekly. "I'm-"

"Cause' you shouldn't be out here if your sick. Especially with the attack possibility and all…" Naruto grinned at her.

Hinata stared down at the ground, still blushing. She knew that Kohona may fall under an attack anytime soon. That sounded more dangerous than the mission itself, at least to her, but she could have been wrong.

"Did Kiba forget his jacket when he left? I didn't think he wore that ugly thing anymore." Naruto mused, resting his hands behind his head. "Are you taking it to him?"

Hinata looked up suddenly, "Yes, I-I have to go now…" Hinata whispered. She didn't want to lie to Naruto, but she wanted to leave before she fainted.

"Well be careful, okay?" Naruto grinned again, patting her lightly on the back. He walked away, still grinning with his hands behind his head.

Hinata teetered back and forth, her face burning bright red. _N-naruto-kun!_

The village probably new that Kiba and Shino wanted Hinata to stay behind, so now if they went to look for her, they wouldn't think that she had been kidnapped or anything, because knowing Naruto, he'd be telling the entire town.

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Hinata stood at the gates of Kohona, clutching his jacket tightly to her chest. She was still trying to compose herself after her encounter with Naruto. Hinata took a deep breath, closed her eyes and focused her chakra.

"Byakugen!" Hinata's eyes flashed open, veins appearing on her forehead. She could clearly see her two comrades off in the distance, and it was good for her that they didn't get to far. Hinata lowered her hands to her side, hugging the jacket again before heading through the gates. As she walked, she tried to contemplate any reason why her two friends would want her to stay in Kohona.

Every possible answer she could come up with always seemed too farfetched, and it all pointed back to one thing. She was weak.

_Shino-kun and Kiba-kun must think I'm too weak to be helpful this time…No wonder Kiba-kun always tries to protect me._ Hinata thought with a small sigh. She was so engrossed in her thoughts, that she didn't even notice the sun setting behind her. _Maybe I'd be better off turning around and going home-_ Hinata gasped when she heard mumbles a few yards away. She quickly pulled Kiba's jacket on, realizing that she must be getting closer to Shino and Kiba then she had thought. Hinata slowly tip-toed over to the row of unruly bushes nearby, ducked down, and cautiously peeked through.

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Kiba and Shino were both turning in for the night. Shino had built a fire for them, with some fallen braches that he found close by, and now the two of them were sitting around, watching the flames dance in front of their eyes. Kiba had leaned back against a tree, Akamaru asleep beside him. He had been quiet the entire trip, and Shino found it disturbing.

Normally, Kiba was loud and obnoxious, barking out orders, but this time he wasn't. He had remained silent ever since they left the village, staring up at the sky occasionally. Even though Shino wasn't normally one to butt into the affairs of others, this time, Kiba's silence irked him to no end.

Shino cleared his throat, fixing his glasses, "Kiba?"

"What do you want?" Kiba mumbled, averting his eyes from his teammate and looking up at the stars.

"…You're oddly silent."

"So?"

Shino shook his head, "So, your bad mood affects your performance as a ninja. If you do poorly, it affects me as well. Tell me what's wrong."

Kiba rolled over onto his side, so his back was facing Shino. "Why should I?" He snarled.

"I just told you why." Shino said, calmly. A moment of awkward silence passed over the area. Hinata held her breath when she swore she saw Shino glance, if only for a second, at the bushes she was hiding behind. Shino wasn't about to let the subject pass so easily. He would not have Kiba's foul mood have an effect on their performance on this mission. Whatever was bothering him would distract him, making it easier for him to make mistakes.

"Is it about Hinata?"

"…" Kiba didn't budge.

"Tell me."

More silence.

"Kiba-" Shino began, but was cut off when Kiba suddenly sat up and screamed, "All right, all right! It is! Now give me a break, will you!"

Hinata bit her lip from behind her hiding place in the bushes. She was bothering Kiba? She couldn't remember doing anything wrong around him…

Shino nodded, leaning back against the tree. His relentlessness had paid off.

"Why did you want her to stay behind?" Shino asked, still seeing that Kiba's disposition hadn't changed.

Kiba glared at him, running his fingers through is unruly brunette hair, "You're not gonna give up are you?" He sighed and leaned back against the tree again.

"I didn't want her to come along, because I knew she'd be safer back in the village. You saw the ninja that attacked us before…She wouldn't have been able to fend them off. They would have been too strong for her…"

"But there's the risk of the attack on-"

"But there are more then two people back there to protect her." Kiba sighed, his hand falling on Akamaru's head, petting his companion lightly. "Naruto's back there…She's happier when she's around him anyway."

Shino nodded in understanding, "I see…So you'd sacrifice your own happiness for hers? You realize that your personal sacrifice has weakened the entire team?"

"I know!" Kiba replied, a small growl threatening to rise from his throat.

"It's obvious, Kiba."

Kiba's eyes narrowed, "What is?"

_That she's always too busy obsessing over Naruto?_ Kiba scoffed.

"Your constant nagging and over protectiveness of her, not to mention your juvenile arguments and competitions with Naruto? You're blind to your jealousy. Do you even realize your own feelings?" Shino inquired.

"Yes I do! I love her!" Kiba blurted out suddenly, his face turning a very odd shade of crimson. "And I needed some time to clear my head over it all. If she came along this time I-"

"That's enough." Shino said. "You've said it, now calm down."

Kiba heaved a sigh, and scratched the back of his head, "Yeah…It's just that she doesn't look at me like that and I guess that kinda bugged me, but I guess if she's happier with Naruto…"

"That's for Hinata to decide, I believe." Shino replied. Kiba nodded, and let his body slump to the ground. He closed his eyes, and in a few moments he was fast asleep.

Hinata continued to stare at Kiba in amazement, her mouth ajar. That was why Kiba hadn't wanted her with them. He loved her. All this time, he'd been suffering. Everytime Naruto was around, and she never noticed it. Not once. Hinata could feel shivers going up her spin as she watched Kiba, and a small twinge of guilt began to wash over her.

_Kiba-kun's been tormented all this time…_

"You can come out now, Hinata," Shino's monotone voice pierced through her thoughts. Hinata jumped a little in surprise and crawled through the bushes.

"Shino-kun, did you know I was there the whole time?"

Shino nodded, "If you're going to hide somewhere, try not to move around so much." Hinata blushed lightly and stared at the ground, embarrassed.

"I-I heard what Kiba-kun said…" She whispered, wrapping Kiba's jacket tightly around herself.

"And what do you plan to do?" Shino asked, starting to settle himself so he could get to sleep soon. He had a feeling, though, that this problem wasn't about to be resolved.

"I-I don't know." Hinata confessed. She was in love with Naruto right?

_But Naruto-kun's not in love with me. I guess I know how Kiba feels…to be ignored. Why didn't he tell me sooner? _

"But if you heard me, why didn't Kiba-kun?" Hinata asked quietly, so she wouldn't wake Kiba.

Shino shrugged, "Perhaps he was too focused on other things, or maybe he knew you were there and wanted you to hear him."

Hinata waited for Shino to answer, but he never did. "S-shino-kun?" No reply. Hinata heard the feint sound of snoring coming from beneath Shino's oversized collar. He had fallen asleep.

_I guess he must have been tired from his trip…_She thought, her gaze then bit by bit wandering over to where Kiba slept. She watched him as he slept, blushing a little. He looked so cute when he was asleep, almost innocent. Hinata unzipped his coat and took it off. She carefully walked over to his sleeping form, and laid the jacket over top of him.

Hinata backed up, turning to leave before Kiba woke up and caught her. She gave him one last glace as she walked through the bushes and back towards the village.

_I'm sorry, Kiba-kun._


	2. The Daring Rescue!

**Note:** I wasn't planning to continue this, but I got a lot of requests to continue the story. So here we are! Oh, and one more thing, this story takes place after the time skip.

_Disclaimer: _I don't own Naruto. (

Summary: Kiba want Hinata to stay behind for their next mission, but Hinata follows the two of them. A conversation with Shino makes Kiba realize something that he never knew, as well as Hinata. (KibaHina).

Chapter 2: The Daring Rescue

Hinata continued to hastily make her way toward Kohana. Each time her foot smacked against a tree branch, her heart pounded. She felt like a fool.

_He's in love with me…_She thought, her long black hair whipping around her. A bit of relief mixed with selfishness and guilt had washed over her. She was relieved because her friends didn't think she was weak, but on the other hand, she had caused her friend so much pain.

Hinata felt her vision start to blur and her byakugen began to lose its effect. The town off in the distance became nothing but a huge blob. She quickly tried to wipe the oncoming tears from her eyes, but was stopped when her body crashed into something.

She fell backwards, landing on her backside. _W-what did I hit?_

Hinata cracked an eye open and looked up. Standing before her was another ninja. A dark cloth covered his face; in fact, his whole body was wrapped in dark material. The only splash of color to be seen, was the crimson-red belt secured at his waist.

Her eyes widened when she saw what was tucked into the belt: a scroll. _This must be one of the enemy ninja we were supposed to be tracking!_ She thought, noticing the symbol for Kohona on the scroll.

Hinata quickly scrambled to her feet. She had to try and get the scroll back! She stretched out her arms and struck a fighting stance. She quickly pumped charka into her palms and pushed them forward, aiming for the first point of her opponent's circulatory system.

But she only felt a rush of cool air on her face. The man flitted away, avoiding her attack. Hinata looked around, bracing herself for his attack.

"C-come out," She whispered, trying to mask the shakiness in her voice. Her whole body began to follow her voice and started to tremble.

"If you insist," A deep voice murmured from behind her. Hinata felt an arm wrap around her waist and let out a scream.

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Kiba shot up at the sound of an ear-piercing shriek. Akamaru and Shino were also up. He glanced off into the distance, "W-what the hell was that?"

Shino felt his fist curl into a ball, knowing exactly what it was. Kiba looked back down at the ground and noticed his old jacket lying there. _I didn't bring that…_

He looked towards Shino and pointed at the jacket, but before he could even ask, Shino spoke, "We had a…visitor last night."

Kiba looked back at the jacket and then at Shino once more. His eyes widened when it all suddenly clicked. _I knew that scream sounded familiar!_

"Hinata!"

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Hinata struggled in the arms of her assailant. He was twice her size and probably twice as strong, but she had to break free. She had proved to herself a little while ago that she wasn't weak! She couldn't be proved wrong already.

The man had uncovered her mouth now but she knew if she screamed he'd get really angry. "W-where are we going?" She asked.

The ninja glared at her but replied in a gruff voice, "You'll see. Just be quiet till' we get there."

Hinata couldn't give up, "Please just tell me where we're goi-" She was cut off his hand slapped over her mouth.

"Just shut up will you! All I'll say is that we don't like spies very much especially if you're from Kohona. But you're cute so maybe the boss'll let you off easy." He laughed and tightened his grip on her.

Hinata winced and squeezed her eyes shut. She wished that she had just stayed back like Kiba had asked her to.

_Kiba-kun…I never got to talk to him…_She felt her strength begin to fade from struggling so much.

"Hinata!"

The sound of a voice in the distance made her open her eyes once more. She felt herself stop moving and began to hear that the voice was getting louder now. Hinata tilted her head up and saw three figures in the distance.

She felt the force around her waist loosen and her body set free. However, she was weakened and dizzy from using up her strength. She was placed up against a tree and fell into a slumped position.

The ninja who was carrying her turned back to Kiba, Akamaru, and Shino, "Figures there'd be more of you," He snarled.

Kiba felt both his hands curl into fists. "Let her go," He snarled through clenched teeth. Akamaru barked from beside his master. Shino, on the other hand, was trying to remain calm. If they all got too overheated, they'd surely make careless mistakes in battle.

The enemy ninja smirked, "You mean you'd want this worthless girl?"

That remark sent Kiba over the edge. He clicked his fangs together and charged at the enemy ninja, Akamaru at his heels. Shino stood back and watched, waiting for the opportune moment to jump in.

Kiba whipped a shuriken from his holster and threw it at the rival ninja's head. He simply deflected the attack like it was nothing. Kiba skid to a hault but Akamaru kept going.

"Akamaru!" the dog had jumped over his master and tackled to enemy to the ground, "Good work, boy!" Kiba grinned as his massive dog kept the man pinned to the ground. Knowing that Akamaru could handle himself, Kiba raced towards Hinata.

She was propped against a nearby tree, unconscious. Just as he was about to reach her, he heard Shino shout, "Kiba, behind you!"

Kiba glanced back and saw that Akamaru had a log held to the ground, not the enemy. The ninja appeared right behind him, ready to attack him. Kiba braced himself for the attack and felt his body go flying into a tree.

Shino decided that now would probably be a good time to jump in. He dashed in between his comrades and the opponent. His bugs slowly began to crawl from his cape and encompass his body.

The ninja froze for a moment, unsure of what his next move should be. He had to get the girl because she had seen the scroll he was carrying, but he was lucky that these new guys hadn't noticed it yet.

_My best bet would be to get around him, grab her and go. I can't afford to waste any more energy on these three. _He pumped charka into his legs and feet and began to dash towards Shino.

Shino let his bugs fly out but the ninja jumped around him. He kept his bugs movement fluid and towards the enemy, but he wasn't quick enough. The ninja maneuvered around him and managed to reach Hinata.

_Damn it._ Shino growled, but kept his cool. He was about to snatch up Hinata when he felt a sharp pain shoot through his right arm.

"Argh! You damn mutt!" He howled. It was Akamaru, who had bitten him on the arm and didn't intend to let go. He managed to force charka into his arm and push the dog off him.

He grabbed Hinata before Shino could make a move and forced more charka into his legs. With one final smirk he flitted off.

Shino sighed and ran over to Kiba. _He's going to kill me when he wakes up, but it can't be helped…_

Akamaru was already at his master's side, gently licking his face. Kiba slowly came to, sitting up and looking around. "W-where did-"

"Calm down, Kiba. You jumped into battle and were knocked out cold." Shino explained and slowly helped his friend up. Kiba stumbled a bit, still weak from the blow. Akamaru gently lowered himself, allowing his master to ride on top of him.

He gripped his dog's fur and lowered his head as they began to walk. _I can't believe I let that bastard get away…_

When he noticed that they were going back the way they came he glared at Shino, "Hey, where the hell are we going? That guy took Hinata! We gotta' go after the bastard."

Shino simply shook his head in response, "You're too weak to go after him. Akamaru's also tired and I used up a lot of energy as well."

"But we'll lose them," Kiba growled. Shino turned to him and held up a finger. Kiba noticed that there was a bug on it, "I'm tracking him. We're not going to lose them, so calm down."

Kiba nodded and let his head fall back down, "I should've let her come with us, then this never wouldn't have happ-"

"Stop beating yourself up over it," Shino ordered, lowering his arm, "Who's to say that this wouldn't have happened if she had come? Besides, you were in no shape to have her around."

Kiba looked at him thoughtfully, "This is the most I've ever heard you talk, Shino."

"And this is the least you've ever talked," Shino replied in a monotone, "So someone has to make sure you don't get too upset over a simple situation."

"I wouldn't call it simple," Kiba scoffed and Akamaru barked in agreement.

"In any case, if we go back to Kohona we can get reinforcements and rescue her. That enemy ninja should lead us right to their base. We can retrieve the scrolls while we're there too." Shino rationalized and picked up his pace. Kiba nodded and noticed the gates to Kohona ahead of them.

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"Kiba, Shino, what are you doing back already?" A certain pink haired kunoichi shouted from the gates of the medic building. "What happened?"

Kiba weakly lifted his head, "We had an…incident."

Sakura quickly ushered them into the building and began to heal their injuries. While she was doing so, they told her what happened.

"Hinata's been kidnapped?" Sakura gasped in a sort of hushed voice. The other two nodded and Akamaru whimpered.

"Hinata's been kidnapped!" A familiar, loud, obnoxious voice sounded from around the corner.

"Naruto! What did I tell you about coming here? I told you to only come here if you're hurt!" Sakura shouted shaking a fist at him. Naruto simply ignored her and wandered over to them, "What do you mean she's been kidnapped?"

Shino re-explained the situation while Kiba simply glared at the floor. Naruto was the _last_ person he wanted to see.

"Sakura and I will help you get her back!" Naruto declared, "This'll be more than a two-man job."

Sakura nodded in agreement, "Especially if they'll be more than one enemy. I can heal you guys, too!" She added with a small smile.

Kiba didn't mind Sakura going along, but he really didn't want Naruto. He couldn't bear to see Naruto jump in and save Hinata. But, he knew that it would take more than the two of them, plus Akamaru, to rescue Hinata.

He let out a defeated sigh and nodded. Shino nodded in agreement and Akamaru let out a tiny bark.

"Then we'll go as soon as I get packed and you're all healed." Naruto announced and turned on his heel. He gave them a small salute before exiting the medic wing.

Kiba glared down at the sheets below him and began to play with the fabric. Shino simply watched. _This shall be interesting…_

Sakura finished healing Kiba and then went to pack her things for their trip. Shino watched her leave before turning back to his teammate, "Are you okay with this?"

Kiba sighed and rubbed his brow, "What choice do I have? At least she'll be happy that Naruto came to save her."

Shino turned away and glanced out one of the windows nearby, "You're over thinking this, Kiba."

"Oh really?" Kiba barked, "Since when did you become and expert at this stuff?"

Shino's glasses winked in the sunlight that came through the window, "I never said I was, but you're assuming that Naruto will return her feelings."

Kiba's eyes widened slightly. _He's right. She'd be crushed, though…_Kiba felt the smallest bit of hope begin to burn inside him. If he could beat Naruto to her, he might have a chance.

_It's a long shot, but I have to at least tell her…_

"Alright, let's get going!" He hopped off the bed and out the door. Akamaru bounded after him and Shino walked out, less enthusiastically than his comrades.

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When Kiba and Shino approached the village limits, Naruto and Sakura were already waiting by the gates. They had already packed and cleared everything with the hokage.

"Took you long enough! Jeez," Naruto complained.

Kiba shot him a dirty look, "Just shut up."

Sakura wanted to bash them both upside the head but figured that wouldn't solve anything. She huffed and made her way out of the gates and into the forest. Shino and Akamaru quietly followed, while Kiba and Naruto continued their glaring match.

The two hotheads stayed in the back, not saying anything to each other, but occasionally giving the other a scowl. "Why are you so irritable?" Naruto sneered.

Kiba glared at him, "None of your business. Why are you so nosy?"

Shino and Sakura tried to drown out the squabbling that was going on behind them. Normally Hinata would be with them and would break up any fights they had. Sakura sighed and turned to Shino, "How far is the base?"

Shino watched the group of bugs that were flying ahead of him, "Thankfully, not too far."

Sakura shifted uncomfortably, "Good, because I can't listen to them for much longer."

Shino nodded, "Agreed."

The two of them picked up there pace a little, to drown out the fighting behind them. Akamaru lagged in between the two groups. "I wonder why they're fighting more than usual…" Sakura said aloud to nobody in particular.

Shino kept looking ahead, following his bugs, "I don't think they even know. I know, Kiba is arguing out of jealousy and confusion."

Sakura's eyes brightened, "He's jealous of Naruto?"

Shino let out a tiny sigh. All these questions were starting to annoy him the slightest bit. Couldn't they just go quietly?

"In a way, yes." He answered, bluntly. Sakura put a finger to her chin, knowing that Shino was done answering questions with that blunt reply, and tried to think of why Kiba could be jealous of someone like Naruto.

_Looks maybe? Nah. That doesn't make sense; Kiba's pretty good looking. It's got to be a power thing…or…something else?_

She looked back at the two, who were still yelling at each other. _Maybe it's over a girl?_

"Jerk!"

"Dog-breath!"

They finally ran out of insults and just started sulking. They didn't look at each other and just glared at the distance ahead of them. Kiba was about ready to kill him, when Naruto ran ahead.

"Are we almost there, Sakura-chan?" He called, sidling up to the pink kunoichi. Kiba watched the blonde, and noticed the way his eyes lit up when Sakura looked at him.

_That's right! He's in love with Sakura! I wonder if that dolt even knows how much Hinata cares about him?_

He caught up with the rest of the group, walking beside his dog. Shino informed them that is wouldn't be too much longer.

"So you two finally decided to stop arguing?" Sakura asked, her voice laced with relief. Naruto grinned, "Oh that was nothing! I don't even know what his problem was."

Kiba could feel his temper start to boil again, "It's because you're a moron."

Sakura nodded, "He's got a point there."

Naruto sighed and let his head hang, "Thanks a lot, Kiba. I didn't even do anything!"

Kiba stared angrily at the back of his head, "Exactly, you ignored he-"

Naruto and Sakura turned around in surprise and Kiba quickly cut himself off. He could feel a small blush forming on his cheeks and almost tripped over his own feet. He coughed and tried to brush his mistake off, but Sakura wasn't about to let him get away.

She clapped her hands together, "So it _was_ over a girl!"

Naruto looked confused, "It was?"

Kiba shook his head; trying to conceal the increasing redness of his face, "Forget I said anything."

Sakura gave him a devilish smile, "Okay. We will."

Kiba knew she wouldn't. He had just doomed himself for the rest of the trip. At least he didn't tell her who it was exactly. The fact that Naruto didn't know either was a definite plus.

The five of them stopped when they came to a fork in the dirt path. Shino waited for his bugs to decide and then they continued to follow them towards the base. Kiba noticed that the sun was beginning to set.

Naruto fell back into step next to Kiba, "So _were_ we fighting over a girl?"

"What did I tell you before about minding your own business?" Kiba muttered, crossing his arms over his chest. Naruto just gave him another confused look.

"Which girl?" He continued to press the subject. Kiba's teeth clenched together. He wasn't going to give up, was he?

"Tenten?" Naruto asked again, hoping to finally get an answer out of him.

"Neji would kill me," Kiba mumbled and tried to walk faster. If he told Naruto that he was in love with Hinata, the entire town would end up knowing, including Hinata herself.

"Ino?"

"No."

"_Sakura_?" Naruto asked, providing him with a suspicious and slightly perturbed stare.

"NO!" Kiba shouted, causing Shino and Sakura to look back at them again. Kiba's face turned red once more.

Naruto scratched his chin, "That wasn't too convincing…but if it's not any of them, then who could it be?"

Kiba smacked his own forehead. _Don't tell me he forgot about her? He really is an idiot._

"Hinata! It's Hinata right?" Naruto exclaimed, suddenly remembering her.

Kiba smacked himself again. _Crap. He couldn't just forget…_

"W-well…" Kiba felt his face heating up again. He tried to get his mouth to form the words, but it wasn't working too well, "Um…no?"

_God I suck at lying…_

Naruto's wary look returned, "Uh-huh. I guess she is a little weird…"

Kiba's embarrassed face quickly vanished and was replaced by an angry one. "What do you mean by 'weird'?"

"Well, she always looks sick, you know? She constantly passes out, at least when I'm around. She's a great friend and all but she's just…weird." Naruto rattled off a couple other reasons but it all came back to that Hinata was just peculiar to him.

Kiba, for once, took in every word that Naruto said. Naruto wasn't in love with Hinata. Conflicting emotion began to tear at his insides. Half of him was relieved that he still had a chance, but the other half was disappointed. Hinata would be crushed. He couldn't bear to see that.

"We're here."

Shino's voice jostled him out of his thoughts and he looked up at the castle-like building that was somewhat concealed by underbrush.

"What now?"

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"Enjoy your new home…"

The feeling of her body smashing against a wall and the sound of cold metal bars clanking together, jerked Hinata from her sleep. She looked around but was greeted by nothing buy cascading gray walls.

Across from her were thick gray bars, ones that she knew she couldn't break. When she tried to move to test that assumption, she found she couldn't. Her feet and hands were tied together. However, they were kind enough to leave her mouth uncovered.

_How do I get myself into these things? I'm always the one to get kidnapped… _

She thrashed about, trying to free herself from the ropes, but with no such luck. She decided that there was no use wasting her energy, especially when there were guards close by. She wouldn't get very far if she escaped.

She slumped against the wall and an image of the night before came to mind.

"_Yes I do! I love her!"_

Hinata blushed and felt her heart thump against her chest. Why did she just think of that?

_Kiba-kun…I wouldn't even know what to say to him. I'm in love with Naruto-kun but…_

Hinata sensed her heart pound one more time before closing her eyes and falling back asleep.

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------_

"What do we do now?" Sakura asked, ducking down into one of the bushes. They had to come up with a battle strategy before they rushed in.

Naruto opened his mouth ready to spout out some sort of stupid plan, but Shino cut him off, "We split up. One person looks for the scrolls, one rescues Hinata, and the other two distract the guards."

The others nodded, agreeing that his plan would work. Naruto raised a finger, "So, Sakura will get the scrolls and I'll rescue Hinata. You two can be the distractions."

"Glory-hog," Kiba muttered under his breath. Naruto shot him a nasty look. Shino looked between the two while Sakura held her head. It was definitely time for an intervention.

"No," Shino said, voice muffled by his high collar.

Naruto turned to him, "No? What's no?"

"Your plan. You and Sakura will be the distractions, I'll find the scrolls because I can track them easier," Shino explained, "and Kiba and Akamaru will rescue Hinata."

"Nani?" Kiba exclaimed, flushing.

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_Thump._

Kiba felt his heart jump into his throat as Akamaru rounded another corner. They had split up and now they were closing in on Hinata's scent.

_She's close._

As they were turning another corner, Kiba picked up an additional scent. It was definitely the guards.

"Get ready, Akamaru." He whispered to his companion. Akamaru gave a small 'yip' in response. They were approaching faster now.

"Intruders!" At the sound of their cries, Kiba jumped off of the giant dog's back. He whipped out two shuriken and aimed them at their legs.

The shuriken flew through the air, connecting with their targets and pinning the guards to the floor. With two swift kicks, Kiba knocked them out. He paused and gave a quick sniff.

_I don't smell anymore…there must've been only two._

He turned to Akamaru, "Let's go!"

He hopped back onto his dog and they continued towards Hinata's cell.

_-------------------------------------------------------------------------_

_CRASH!_

"Wha?" Hinata was woken by the sound of a loud crash from outside her cell. She opened her eyes just in time to see a guard flying by.

"Hinata!" Kiba shouted from nearby. Hinata tried to jump to her feet, but then remembered she was tied up. She fell back down, landing on her stomach.

"Kiba-kun! I-I'm in here!" She shouted, cringing when she landed. Kiba appeared in front of her cell and jumped off of Akamaru.

"Hang on, I'll get you out!" Kiba ran over to where the guard lay unconscious. He rummaged around and eventually found keys attached to his belt. Kiba snatched them up, ran back, and opened her cell.

Hinata gazed up at him, eyes wide. Her cheeks flushed slightly and she felt her mouth hang open a bit. This was the first time she'd seen him since he'd confessed. The minute they locked eyes, Hinata looked away.

Kiba was a bit confused. _What's with her?_

He decided that it would probably be better to figure that out later. He rushed over and quickly untied the ropes that bonded her.

Hinata stumbled to her feet, nearly falling over. Kiba caught her and glanced over his shoulder.

"Footsteps…let's go," He whispered. Hinata felt her heart jump into her throat as her hoisted her into his arms and carried her over to Akamaru. Kiba gently placed her on his companion and then got on behind her. Hinata clutched the giant dogs fur tightly, trying to calm the beating of her heart.

But whatever calm had come over her vanished when Kiba wrapped his arms around her waist.

"K-kiba-kun!" She stammered, turning bright red.

Kiba ignored her; the sounds of the oncoming footsteps were getting louder. He gently kicked Akamaru's sides and the dog started to run.

Hinata squeezed her eyes shut, trying to drown out everything around her. It was all happening so fast. _Kiba-kun is making me so nervous and I don't know why…maybe it's because I don't know what to say to him…_

The next minute, she opened her eyes to the sight of doors crashing open. Akamaru dashed away from the building and into the woods. The trio dove into the bushes and the giant mutt ducked down. Kiba slid off, and motioned for Hinata to do so too.

She nodded and glided down Akamaru's side, landing beside Kiba. She gasped when his hand swiftly moved behind her head, pulling her to the ground. He put a finger to his lips, signaling for her to keep her voice down.

After a moment, Kiba decided that they were in the clear. He sat up, breathing a sigh of relief. Hinata pulled herself up, but avoided eye contact with her teammate.

"T-thank you, Kiba-kun…" She stammered, twiddling a blade of grass between her fingers. Her lilac orbs were completely focused on the ground beneath them.

Kiba shrugged, "It was no big deal. Those guys weren't that tough to get around."

Hinata nodded meekly, her porcelain cheeks becoming rosier by the second. She had no clue what to say to him. She couldn't even think about rejecting him, it would be too hard for her to say, but she couldn't tell him she loved him either, because she didn't.

"We just have to wait for the others now," Kiba spoke, leaning back slightly.

Hinata finally lifted her head up, "Others?"

She figured that Shino was one of them, but Kiba made it sound like there was more than that. "Shino, Sakura, and Nar-" Kiba quickly cut himself off before he finished. He turned onto his side, to avoid looking at her reaction.

Hinata's initial reaction was complete awe. First off, Naruto had come to rescue her. Second, how did Kiba manage to put up with that the whole way there?

A small smile formed on her lips and she accidentally, momentarily forgetting the current situation, spoke in a soft voice "N-naruto-kun?"

Kiba bit his lip and tried to hold back a growl. Did she have to sound so happy about it?

"Yeah, Naruto came too," He half muttered/half growled.

Hinata slowly came back down to earth, remembering that Kiba was next to her, "Gomen-nasai, Kiba-kun! I f-forgot-"

Kiba sat up suddenly, eyeing her suspiciously, "Forgot what?"

His mind flashed back to when he woke up in the forest that morning. He had his jacket, that he didn't bring, on…Shino said that they had a visitor last night…did she know about his confession?

Hinata realized her mistake and slapped her hand over her mouth, "Nothing!"

Kiba shot her disbelieving look, complete with squinty eyes and a frown. She turned away, focusing on Akamaru. That was it. She knew.

Kiba inched closer to her. Now that the cat was out of the bag, he had to at least try. He had to tell her everything. Hinata kept her back to him, cringing when an awkward silence passed over the area.

"He doesn't love you."

Hinata whipped around, her eyes wide, "W-what?"

Kiba scooted a bit closer. He didn't have time to play games with her anymore, "Hinata, you know exactly what I mean, so don't give me that."

Hinata felt herself start to shake a little. Her fingers dug into the warm earth beneath them, trying to find some kind of support, "I-I…"

"You know that he isn't in love with you."

Again. Those words pierced through her. The sad thing was, she knew he was right. She had been in denial this whole time. She would always tell herself that it wasn't probable, but it was possible. Even though she knew that was a complete lie, and somehow, hearing those words come out of someone else's mouth confirmed what she feared.

"B-but that's…his feelings could change," She protested quietly, even though she knew it wasn't likely.

"You know that he loves Sakura, and you know that's not likely to change," Kiba told her as gently as he possibly could. Hinata wanted nothing more then to cover her ears and run away.

"Kiba-kun…you don't…you don't understand," She whispered.

"Actually, I do. I know exactly how you feel," He replied in an equally hushed tone. Hinata looked up at him now. "I think you should try to move on. If he hasn't noticed you by now, what makes you think it's still going to happen?"

Kiba knew that he was being mean, but he thought that was the only way to get through to her. He was doing this because he cared about her. He didn't want to see her be crushed by that idiot.

"You know how I feel?" Hinata questioned, her features softening. She felt like crying on the inside, but she wasn't ready to get rid of her feelings yet. She couldn't just move on, "You're ignore by the person you love?"

Kiba nodded, his cheeks reddening.

Hinata gently placed a trembling hand over his, "I'm sorry, Kiba-kun. I had no idea."

Kiba looked up, unsure of how to answer her. She was smiling at him, still holding his hand, "But if that's that case, then you'd want the person you love to be happy, right?"

Kiba nodded again, locking eyes with her. Hinata broke their interlocked gazes, watching the soil below them, "You'd want them to be near the person _they_ love…"

Kiba's eyes widened as he continued to gaze at her. What was this girl willing to put herself through for Naruto?

"I want Naruto to be with Sakura-chan, if it makes him happy," She smiled at him again, trying to prevent the oncoming tears, "And I know I should move on, but I'm not ready to let go yet."

Kiba squeezed her hand, "I'm not ready, either."

She returned the gesture and murmured, "Thank you for worrying about me…"

"I found them!" Sakura's voice pierced through the air above then. They looked up, beet red. Sakura gave them a "Whoops, guess that was bad timing" look and quickly disappeared.

Kiba shook his blush away and helped Hinata to her feet. Just as they stood up, Sakura and the others reappeared. Naruto looked at the two and then back at Sakura, "They're not holding hands!"

"B-but they were! I saw them," Sakura protested, pointing at the two and causing Hinata to blush again. Kiba glared at all three of them, "You're crazy. Let's just get out of here."

He hopped on Akamaru's back focusing on the road ahead of them, instead of the throbbing feeling inside of him. Nobody else seemed to notice his eyes were coated with pain. Nobody except Hinata.

"C-can I ride too, Kiba-kun?" She asked, trying to make amends. Kiba looked thoughtful for a moment, before nodding. She jumped on behind him, grabbing onto Akamaru.

As the group started off, Sakura was the only one who watched the two. Something was going on and she was going to find out, no matter what.

_This is definitely the beginning of something interesting, _She thought, her cherry tresses whipping around her face. _And cute if my instincts are right!_


	3. Painful Comprehension

**Note:** I'm really glad you guys like the continuation and I hope you keep reading and reviewing! This chapter is shorter and is kind of a filler, but it's supposed to show how Hinata's feelings are slightly changing. I didn't want to have it so she just fell in love with him instantly. I wanted it to be more gradual. On with the next chapter!

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Naruto…

Chapter Three: Painful Comprehension

"We're finally back!" Naruto threw his hands up into the air the minute his foot crossed the line into Kohona. It had been what seemed like ages since they had been home. Thankfully, the fighting between Kiba and Naruto had been kept to a minimum, "Well, I'm off to get some ramen!" Naruto announced. He gave the group a hasty goodbye before running off.

Sakura lowered her head and let out a sigh, "I guess I'll go check in with Tsunade-sama…"

Shino looked at Kiba, who was watching their retreating figures. He turned away before asking, "So, what are you going to do now?"

Kiba grinned, "Well…"

He arched his arm and his back so Shino could see behind him. Hinata had fallen asleep on the trip home. She was currently leaning against him, her arms wrapped tightly around his waist.

Shino nodded and adjusted his glasses, "I see…"

Kiba repositioned himself and then continued, "I'm gonna drop her off. She's probably exhausted. See ya'."

Shino watched the fading figure of his comrades and shook his head. _For his sake, he'd better get this sorted out._

Akamaru slowly strolled down the streets of Kohona, towards the Hyuuga mansion. He whimpered out of sympathy for his master. He could tell Kiba wasn't himself. Kiba chuckled and patted his companion's head, "It's okay, boy. I kinda saw this coming…"

He glanced back at the sleeping form behind him. She looked even more innocent, if that was possible, in her sleep. Her raven locks fell around her round, pink-tinged face perfectly. Kiba could feel his heart begin to thump against his chest, so he quickly looked away.

_Damn it…what does she have to be so…so…_-

Akamaru barked, signaling that they had arrived at the mansion. Kiba slid off of his dog and gently took Hinata in his arms. Akamaru nudged open the gates for him and Kiba entered. He glanced around and saw that there wasn't anybody training in the yard. That was a relief.

He hustled over to where he knew Hinata lived; it was where he and Shino had always picked her up for missions. Kiba tapped lightly on the paper-thin, sliding door. Nobody answered.

_Sheesh. Where the hell is everyone?_

Not that he was eager to run into and of the Hyuuga clan, but they didn't exactly get along. He managed to slide open the door using his foot and entered the house. He noticed a couch on the far side of the room, and gently placed her onto it, careful not to wake her up. Kiba gave one final glance at her sleeping form, before hurrying out the door.

--------------------------------------------

_Wake up, already!_

Hinata's eyes slowly opened upon hearing two, loud, shrill voices coming from above her. She could make out a head of blonde hair and cherry locks above her. The two figures were standing beside the couch with their hands on their hips, staring down at her.

Hinata sat up and rubbed her eyes, "Ino-chan? S-sakura-chan? Did I miss something?"

Ino grabbed her arm and yanked her to her feet, causing Hinata to yelp. Ino looked at her, her blue eyes twinkling, "No, but did we miss something?"

Hinata gave her two friends a quizzical look, "Um…I don't know?"

The two other girls exchanged glances before letting out a small sigh, "I guess she doesn't know what we're talking about…" Sakura said to Ino.

"Hinata, when were you going to tell us about you and Kiba?" Ino grinned, throwing her arm around the Hyuuga girl's shoulder. At the mention of Kiba's name, Hinata turned bright red, "M-me and Kiba-kun? W-well its r-really nothing…" She stammered, trying to come up with an argument.

Ino frowned and stepped away from her, "Of course it is, silly! Kiba's obviously one of the top five!"

Hinata looked confused again, "Top five?"

Sakura waved Ino off before turning back to Hinata, "Ino keeps a list of the guys she thinks are the hottest in the village."

Ino glared at her friend, "Hey! You _helped_ me come up with it."

Sakura's cheeks tinged slightly, "I guess…but yeah, Kiba's on the list. First is-"

"Sasuke-kun!" Ino interrupted, her eyes going starry. Hinata wasn't surprised the Sasuke was number one. Ino then continued, "Then Sai because he looks like Sasuke-kun…"

Sakura mouthed "not my idea" to Hinata and the dark haired girl giggled. "Neji is third, then Kiba, and-" Ino stopped, cutting herself off.

"And Ino chose Shikamaru as the fifth!" Sakura snickered and Ino blushed protesting, "Well it was him or Naruto, and Naruto has a big enough ego as it is!"

Hinata and Sakura burst out laughing, causing Ino to blush even more. Sakura's laughter died down as she pulled herself together, "I guess you're right, but now we have to add him anyways. Since Kiba's taken and all…"

Hinata was blushing again, waving her hands in protest, "N-no he's not! I…um…we're not together." She said, her voice was slightly sad. She didn't want to think about rejecting him anymore.

Sakura and Ino watched her shifting uncomfortably and decided that it was time to end the discussion. Sakura smiled awkwardly, and tried to break the silence, "Hey, how about we go get something to eat? You probably haven't eaten since we got back, ne?"

"Well…" Hinata looked down at her stomach as it let out a loud gurgle. She blushed and nodded. Then she did a double take at her stomach. Her favorite jacket and her pants were filthy. Patches of brown soot covered the white on her coat and her pants were soiled with grass stains, "Um… just give me a second to change. I haven't had a chance to yet."

With that, she disappeared into another room. The minute she was gone, Ino turned to Sakura, "I thought you said her and Kiba were an item?"

"I did!" Sakura huffed, "But I guess Hinata doesn't think so."

"But they would be cute…" Ino sighed. Maybe they weren't together yet. Maybe they were just to shy or something like that.

"Sorry it took so long," Hinata reappeared, her cheeks slightly flushed. She was wearing a basic navy, v-neck t-shirt and a pair of black Capri pants. She shuffled out the door after her two friends, who were looking quite disappointed over something. Hinata wondered what it could be as they walked towards the ramen stand.

--------------------------------------------

Kiba slowly made his way down the streets. He was on his way to get something to eat, because his sister had forced him out of the house. She said he needed to quit moping around about whatever and get out of the house. He tried to argue with her but he wasn't in the mood. Hana had then guessed what his problem was and told him to just try to act like it had never happened. It would be less awkward for the both of them.

As he made his way towards the ramen stand, he could hear Naruto's familiar, obnoxious voice, and Shikamaru's tired, annoyed complaining.

He approached the stand and sat down next to Shikamaru, who was quietly eating a bowl of ramen, occasionally glaring at Naruto. Kiba ordered himself a bowl of pork ramen and said nothing to his friends.

"Naruto!" a familiar voice called from behind them. Kiba whipped around to see who it was and immediately turned bright red. He wasn't expecting to see Hinata so soon. He quickly wheeled back around, feeling his heart thumping against his chest.

Sakura sat down next to Ino, who was sitting next to Shikamaru. Hinata just stood there, staring at Kiba's back. He hadn't even said hello to her. Was he mad?

"Oi, Hinata, sit next to me!" Naruto's voice jostled her out of her thoughts. He was patting the empty stool beside him. Hinata glanced at the empty seat beside Kiba and the one next to Naruto.

She shook her head and hastily sat down beside the blonde. Kiba sniffed audibly and continued to eat his ramen. "What are you going to have, Hinata?" Naruto suddenly asked, staring at the blushing girl.

"Oh! Um…pork ramen please?" She ordered quietly.

After that, Shikamaru started asking questions about their mission. Kiba and Naruto would occasionally argue, and Sakura and Ino would gossip. Hinata quietly ate her ramen. Kiba was hardly talking to her and when he did, it was just normal conversation. Nothing had changed. At all.

_Things should be different between us, shouldn't they?_

Was he doing this because he was mad? Or maybe there was another reason. Hinata tugged on her shirt, trying to listen to her friends' conversations. She wanted to join in, but she didn't know what to say.

"And that's how we completed the mission," Naruto finished proudly.

"All you did was distract the guards," Kiba mumbled. He wasn't going to have Naruto bragging on and on. His day sucked enough already, "At least we got the scrolls and Hinata back."

Hinata blushed, "Y-yes by Naruto-kun still helped. Kiba stared at her before frowning, "I guess, but the important thing is that you got back okay."

Hinata reddened and everyone stared at Kiba, who continued to eat his ramen. He blinked when he realized everyone's eyes were on him, "What?"

Yes, things were exactly the same. Kiba wasn't even embarrassed like he would have been yesterday. He was acting like nothing but her teammate again.

"Well, Sakura-chan and I did a great job of distracting," Naruto continued to brag anyway, "But that's cause we work great together, ne?"

Sakura sighed, trying to resist the urge to punch him. She knew he was trying to hint at something more than they were good teammates, "Whatever."

Naruto pouted, "You never give me a chance."

But he stopped after a death glare and slurped down the rest of his ramen. Hinata felt her heart throb, watching the two. Sure, Sakura wasn't returning his feelings, but Naruto obviously was head over heels. She shouldn't have been offended though, because Naruto didn't even know about her feelings.

_Maybe Kiba-kun was right…but who knows? He's not even acting like he was before._

She finished off the last of her ramen and hopped off her stool, "I-I should be going." They all watched as she scurried off down the street. Kiba noticed that something wasn't right. Her legs were wobbling as she ran. She was upset.

--------------------------------------------

Hinata's feet pounded against the dirt roads. Once she was out of their sights, she had started to run. She had no idea where she was going, but she wanted to get away. The smell of freshness and water assaulted her nose as she left the village. She was in the woods, near the training grounds.

The familiar sights of the wooden posts jutting from the grounds and the sound of the river flowing nearby calmed her. She slowly made her way over to the posts, her legs still shaking slightly.

_Training should help me forget…_

She struck her fighting stance and forced charka into her palms. She propelled her right arm forward, towards the beam, and struck it. Then she pushed her left hand into it, causing the pole to shake. She continued to hit it, right then left, beads of sweat pouring down her cheeks.

But it wasn't helping.

_He's no different. It's like what he said yesterday meant absolutely nothing. Could it have been…a joke?_

Her palm smacked against the post and then slowly slid down, her body following. She sank to her knees, sucking in a deep breath.

_Kiba-kun could have been teasing me? B-but he's not like that…_

Her fingertips began to shake and she started breathing even harder. Her fingers dug into the soft material of her pants.

_He wouldn't…but he…never loved me?_

Hinata tried her hardest to fight back the oncoming tears, but couldn't. Hot tears began streaming down her pale cheeks. She started hiccupping, trying to convince herself that she was wrong.

Suddenly, she felt a pair of large hands on her slim shoulders. She was tugged backwards, her body pushing up against someone else's. A pair of strong arms wrapped around her waist. Hinata noticed the black sleeves and the claws at the end of tan fingers.

"K-kiba-kun?" She gasped. Hinata wished she could quickly wipe her tears away but her arms were squished to her sides.

Hinata felt her body being twisted around so she was facing him. Kiba frowned when he saw her tear-stained cheeks. He gently wiped her face with his thumbs, "Why are you crying?"

Hinata averted her eyes and tried to calm her pounding heart. Why was she so embarrassed and nervous?

"Well…" She closed her eyes and felt him pull her closer. Her head fell against his broad chest and he rested his chin on her head.

"Is it because of Naruto and Sakura?" He asked quietly and gently stroked the back her head.

Hinata shook her head and pulled away. This was a little uncomfortable for her, "It wasn't that. It was…"

She looked up him, her pale eyes focusing on his dark ones, "Do you love me?"

Kiba's eyebrows shot up. He stared down at her, taken aback by her question. He tried to read her face and she looked completely serious. Her eyes were soft but her delicate mouth had formed a thin line.

"Didn't we have this discussion already?" Kiba stammered, his cheeks flushing. Hinata twiddled her thumbs, "I-I know…but the way you were acting at the ramen stand…."

Kiba's eyebrows went up again, "How was I acting?"

"That's the thing, you were acting _normal_. I was just…confused. I thought things were going to be different between us." Hinata explained, fiddling with the hemline of her shirt.

Kiba was thoroughly confused now. Yesterday, she had been telling him she couldn't love him because she loved Naruto. Well, not in those words but that had been the idea, she just wasn't mean enough to say it. And now, she was sitting in his lap wishing things were different between them. Didn't she want things to go back to normal?

"I was just trying to make things less awkward," Kiba answered, giving her one of his trademark lop-sided grins. Hinata responded with a slightly relieved smile.

"But if you want things to be different…" Kiba started but the look in her eyes told him that she was unsure.

"I just wasn't sure if you were teasing me," Hinata whispered, standing up and dusting herself off.

Kiba jumped to his feet and shook his head, "Why would I make something like that up? Nah, I was completely serious, and I still am."

Hinata blushed as he grabbed her hand, "Come on. Let's go back, Hinata."

Hinata followed him, her eyes on his back as they made their way back to the village. She was sort of happy to know that his offer still stood. But she had rejected him and didn't want to lead him on. She was just really happy that he hadn't been toying with her feelings.

One thing she couldn't figure out was this: Why had she been so upset over thinking it had been a joke?


	4. Sick Day

**Note:** Not much to say, but I wanted a quick update. This should be coming to a close soon!

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Naruto or any of the characters (

Sick Day

Hinata opened her eyes and found herself in the middle of a field. She was surrounded by green-yellow grass that tickled her knees. Thousands of butterscotch, pale pink, and lavender flowers were scattered all around her. In the distance, she could see where the meadow ended and the field began. But before she noticed that, she saw something else.

Standing near the edge of the field was a man. His back was to her, but she could make out black material covering his toned body. A blue headband was secured around his forehead, causing his disheveled brown locks to fall over it.

A slight breeze picked up, causing the strangers brown hair to be ruffled and Hinata's to be whipped around her face. Her large, amethyst eyes went wide and she parted her lips to speak.

"K-ki-"

But the stranger began to walk away.

Hinata stumbled a bit as she followed him, gently calling out his name. She couldn't seem to get her voice above a whisper. "Kiba-kun!"

It didn't make sense. He should have been able to hear her, what with his acute senses and all. But it was too late. He was going to disappear into the woods. Hinata tripped and collapsed.

--------------------------------

"No!" Hinata called out, shooting up and throwing the covers off of her body. She clutched her shirt, feeling the pounding of her heart in her chest. She glanced towards the window and noticed the sun was peeking through her blinds. She quickly scrambled out of bed and into the bathroom.

She stared at her reflection, poking and prodding at her face. She hadn't slept very well the past couple of days. She had been dreaming almost every night, and Kiba starred in every single one. Hinata didn't know why, but he had been on her mind ever since he came to check on her that afternoon.

He had been the only one who cared enough to come see if she was all right. He had taken her in his arms and comforted her in a way she didn't expect. And the more she thought about it, the more she missed that feeling. She felt very safe in his arms, and was wondering if it would happen again.

Hinata shook her head, raven strands of hair falling in her face. She pushed them back with a sigh and exited that bathroom, thinking about her latest dream.

What on earth did it mean?

Just as she opened her draw to grab a pair of clean clothes, an idea hit her. What if it meant she had missed her chance?

Her heart throbbed at the idea. And with that feeling, Hinata became utterly and thoroughly confused. She wasn't supposed to have feelings for him right?

_Right._ She thought, pulling her coat off the rack. It was just her usual act of over thinking the situation. _I'm probably just being paranoid. After all, I still like Naruto-kun._

And with that final thought, she hurried out the door, late for training.

--------------------------------

Hinata raced through the streets of the village, not wanting to receive a scolding for being late. She huffed as she ran, but was somewhat eager to get to practice.

"Hinata-chan!" She heard three familiar voices as she passed the bright and colorful flower shop. Ino, Sakura, and Tenten were standing outside its doors, Ino holding a bouquet of daisies. Hinata slid to a stopped and walked over to her friends, breathing heavily.

"Where were you off to in such a rush?" Sakura asked, playing with the petals of a nearby flower.

Hinata brought a hand to her chest, still gasping, "I was going to practice."

The three girls exchanged glances before smirking at poor Hinata. Hinata's eyes went wide, trying to figure out what on earth they could be thinking. She couldn't seem to figure it out so she asked, "W-why are you looking at me like that?"

"Oh, no reason…" Ino said innocently, staring off towards the sky. The other two joined her. Hinata began to grow more panicked. She broke out into a tiny sweat and began to whine, "What? What is it?!"

Tenten sighed, feeling sorry for teasing her, "It's nothing, Hinata-chan. We were just thinking that you might be running so you can see you-know-who."

Hinata calmed down and lowered her hands to her sides, "Oh…"

She looked between the three girls and then remembered that they all thought that she liked her teammate. Her face went slightly red and she started to protest, "I told you guys I don't like him that way!"

Sakura simply shrugged, "Sure you didn't a few days ago, right after our last mission, but I've seen changes in you Hinata-chan."

"C-changes?" Hinata stuttered. Was it really that obvious?

Sure Ino agreed, putting a slender finger to her chin, "Just yesterday, for example."

Hinata squeezed her eyes shut and tried to remember what they were talking about.

--------------------------------

((Flashback))

"Coming!" Hinata shouted when she heard a knock at her door. She opened to door a crack, and one violet eye peered out. She saw nothing but black material, so she looked up to see Kiba's grinning face.

"K-kiba-kun?" She immediately turned beet red. He'd had that effect on her a lot lately. He looked down at her, his lop-sided grin still plastered on his face.

"Um…can I help you?" She asked.

Kiba held up a large, tan, woven basket. Hinata noticed the corners of red and white checkered fabric sticking out of the top, "Kurenai-sensai wanted to spend the day with us. I packed stuff to eat."

"Oh…" Hinata said quietly, her hand sliding down the edge of the door and falling to her side. She concentrated on the building behind him, not even daring to look him in the eye, "That sounds like fun."

She opened the door all the way, stepping out into the sunlight. She quietly followed him down the street, staring at the ground the whole way there. She suddenly bumped into him, quickly regaining her posture. She looked around and saw that they were out of the village and into a field. Kiba glanced back, grinning at her, "You okay?"

Hinata nodded dumbly, taken a bit aback by his smile. She raised one of her slender, pale fingers, "How about we set up over there?"

Kiba shrugged. It seemed as good as any other place. He strode over to where she had gestured and pulled out the checkered blanket. Meanwhile, Hinata began to unpack to food. While she unpacked she asked, "I wonder where Kurenai-sensai and Shino-kun could be?"

Kiba folded down one of the edges of the blanket, "Who knows…"

But he really didn't care. If they didn't show up, that was more time he got to spend with her. Hinata spoke again, trying to make conversation, "I hope they're okay…"

Kiba grabbed a rice ball and shoved the whole thing into his mouth, "I'm sure they're fine. Quit worrying and eat." He mumbled, bits of food flying out of his mouth.

Hinata frowned, but she had expected his bad manners. She sighed and grabbed a rice ball for herself, taking a dainty bite. A silence washed over the two of them and Hinata began to feel a bit uncomfortable. Was this the difference in their relationship that she was inwardly hoping for?

_It's too awkward…_She thought, taking another bite. _But…I can't even look him in the eyes! Okay Hinata…just think about something else…ANYTHING ELSE!_

But her inward babbling was interrupted by a sigh from beside her. She gazed over at him, eyes wide with slight alarm, "Kiba-kun? D-did I do something wrong?"

Kiba chuckled lightly, "Nah. I was just thinking…"

Hinata picked up another rice ball and nibbled on it, "About what?"

Kiba hesitated but then decided to tell her anyway, "Well, about how…unsure I've been feeling."

Hinata's eyes went wide and she placed the rice ball on the ground in front of her, "Unsure? That doesn't sound like you at all. What on earth could you have to be uncertain about?"

Kiba laughed lightly again, relieved slightly by the worry in her voice. "You want the truth?"

She nodded and picked up her rice ball again. Why wouldn't she?

"It's you."

Her lilac eyes grew with surprise, and she felt her heart jump into her throat, "How? I'll t-try to stop just tell me what to do!"

Kiba snickered to himself before looking at her, "Hinata, you couldn't change this if you tried. I'm just regretting what you heard on the mission. I mean, I'm glad it cleared my head but," He sucked in a deep breath and looked towards the ground. "I just wish things could have been different…"

Hinata watched him silently, listening to every word he said. This had been bothering him as much as it had her. She shifted closer to him, placing a hand on his shoulder, "Kiba-kun?"

Kiba looked at her, his cheeks flushing slightly from their contact. Hinata simply smiled at him, "I guess it's my turn to comfort you now. If it makes you feel better, I don't regret it."

"Yeah, but you didn't embarrass the hell out of yourself." He pointed out. Hinata's cheeks went red, "I-I guess, but you shouldn't feel bad because I-"

Hinata hastily cover her mouth, and scooted away from him. Now she was blushing to the roots of her hair and not daring to even look at him. _What am I thinking? I almost told Kiba-kun that I really like him! I don't even know if I do…this is happening too fast…_

She jumped to her feet and blurted out, "Ineedtogonow!" So fast, that Kiba could barely understand what she had said. Hinata shuffled off, her figure disappearing quickly.

Kiba leapt up and followed her, "Hey, Hinata! Wait up!"

Hinata was back into town faster then she thought. She was just about to pass the first building when the boom of thunder above her startled her. She stopped, feeling a drop of rain plop onto her nose. _Great. What else can go wrong?_

She picked up her pace again, but the rain was soon pouring down around her. Her clothes became thoroughly soaked and her body started to feel numb. Not wanting to get wetter, she hurried under a building's roof that stuck out past its wall. She shivered violently.

"Hinata?"

Hinata looked up to see Kiba standing out in the rain, just as drenched as she was. He joined her under the roof, "Are you okay?"

"I-I'm fine. I just…almost said the wrong thing," She whispered. Kiba noticed that she was shivering. She was only wearing a thin, cotton t-shirt and a pair of shorts. He shrugged off his black jacket and handed it to her.

Hinata looked up at him, "But you need it."

Kiba frowned, "Just put it on."

She obeyed and pulled the jacket on. It swallowed her tiny frame, but it was warm. She pulled it around herself, her cheeks flushing. Kiba smiled and ruffled her wet hair.

Just at they were about to settle down to wait for the rain to stop, a familiar face walked by, "Hinata-chan? Kiba?"

It was Ino, carrying some flowers in one hand, and a large, purple umbrella in the other. She stopped and walked over to the two of them, "What are you guys doing out here?"

Hinata blushed even brighter and sunk into his jacket. It didn't help that Ino was more fan-girly than Sakura and would find this whole situation very suspicious. Kiba shrugged nonchalantly, "We were supposed to meet Kurenai-sensai, but she never showed up. Then it started to rain and we got caught."

Ino eyed the two of them warily, but nodded anyway, "Well, when I'm done this delivery I can walk you home under my umbrella." But then a smirk crossed her features, "Unless you'd rather stay like that?"

Kiba glowered, "You can walk us home. Hinata's about to catch a cold, so hurry up, okay?"

"Be right back!" She snickered. Hinata's heart sank, knowing this story would be all over town by tomorrow.

--------------------------------

((End Flashback))

"And that's how everyone else knows," Ino finished her story about seeing them in the rain together. Hinata decided to not tell them about their little picnic that afternoon. The fact that she'd almost confessed to him, without even knowing how she truly felt, was not need to know information.

Hinata sighed, her shoulders slumped, "I really need to get to practice now."

"Fine, fine," Sakura waved her off with one hand and Hinata was off. She had picked up her pace, worrying that Kurenai would be angry over her tardiness. She whizzed past all of the buildings and was soon in that familiar clearing. She stopped to catch her breath, plopping onto the ground. When Hinata looked up, her sensei was hovering over her.

"G-gomen-nasai, Kurenai-sensei…" She muttered under her breath. Her teacher looked around the clearing and Hinata's gaze followed. She grimaced when she saw that Shino-kun was the only out there. As if reading her mind, Kurenai answered, "Kiba called me this morning. He sounded awful so I told him to stay home and get some rest."

Hinata's breath hitched. He was at home, sick? Her heart jumped into her throat when she realized just how worried she was. She clutched her chest, realizing something else for the first time.

_The girls were right. I-I think I'm starting to fall for him! H-he came for me…protected me…helped me realize the truth. Oh, but…my dreams…I might be too late. I did reject him after all…_

When she let out a small sigh, Kurenai looked down at her and asked, "Hinata, are you alright? You look pretty sick yourself. Why don't you head home?"

Hinata jumped to her feet, trembling somewhat, and gave her sensei a curt nod. She turned on her heel and started walking back towards town, but she had no intention of going home.

No, Hinata had something she needed to take care of. She wouldn't let her dreams be right. She wouldn't back out, like she had with Naruto. No, she had to tell him how she felt before it was too late to salvage it.

She raced down the street, past the ramen stand. Naruto turned on his stool, just in time to see her whiz by, "H-hey, Hinata-chan!"

Hinata skid to a halt and looked over to him, "Naruto-kun?"

She froze after she spoke. The stuttering in her voice was gone. Normally she'd be stuttering and fidgeting around Naruto but it wasn't like that now.

Naruto walked over, ramen in hand. He cocked his head to one side, "You look different."

"Different?" She echoed, not knowing what he was talking about.

"Well for starters, you're not all red…" He spoke, slurping down more ramen.

"Oh," Was all she could say, teetering back and forth on her heels. She was eager to get going. _This is way too weird…and too fast…_

Naruto placed one hand on her forehead, "I guess you're not feeling sick today?"

Hinata tensed and flushed, "N-naruto-kun!"

_Or maybe not…guess he can still get that reaction out of me…_

Naruto quickly removed his hand and muttered a quick apology. He asked her if she wanted any ramen, but Hinata quickly declined. Her heart was going out of control at the thought of turning down a "date" with Naruto, but she really needed to check on Kiba.

Naruto shrugged and returned to his stool and she continued towards the Inuzuka house. _I c-can't believe that just happened! I guess I'm not over him completely but Kiba-kun…oh! There's his house!_

She raced up to the front door, sucking in deep breaths. Hinata feebly raised her fist and gently tapped on the door. She waited for a moment, but there was no answer. She inhaled once more and knocked on the door again, but this time with a bit more force.

She heard some shuffling around inside followed by, "I'm coming! I'm-"

The door swung opened, with Kiba leaning weakly in the doorframe. Hinata's wide eyes locked with his, but she noticed they were different. His normal, lively onyx eyes were now dull and almost gray. His tan face was now completely pale and he looked exhausted.

"H-Hinata?" He stuttered, running a hand through his unruly brown hair. Hinata noticed that it was even messier than usual.

But what she saw after that, made her lose any touch with reality. When she managed to tear away from his gaze, she observed that he was wearing nothing but a pair of long, cotton pants and a large, blue blanket draped over his tall frame.

She quickly pushed past him, eyes squeezed shut, so she couldn't stare at his shirtless form. Kiba was about to ask a question, when he felt his blanket being tugged. As they walked he managed to speak, "What are you doing here?"

"Kurenai-sensei told me you were sick. I just wanted to make sure you were okay, but you look awful," She explained, somewhat meekly.

Kiba was grinning from ear-to-ear as he crawled back onto his bed, "Thanks, it's just me and Akamaru here so it'll be nice to have some company."

Hinata simply nodded and headed off to the kitchen to make him some tea. Kiba strained his neck to watch every inch of her retreating figure. He then flopped back onto his bed, still grinning. He couldn't help but notice that her cheeks had been red since she opened the door.

_I might just be getting my hopes up…_

Hinata returned a moment later, a cup in her hand. She carefully handed it to her teammate and he took a sip, "Thanks."

"Y-you're welcome," She replied but wanted to smack her self in the head. Now her nerves were starting to get to her. Kiba finished off the rest of the tea and placed the empty cup beside his bed.

Kiba glanced over at his teammate, trying not to chuckle. She was now seated right next to his bed, trembling hands folded on her lap. Her normally pale cheeks were slightly tinged and she was chewing on her bottom lip. He found her whole appearance quite amusing.

"Something wrong?" He asked, trying to hide his delight in her fidgeting. Hinata quickly looked up at the sound of his voice. Her hands flew from her lap and she waved them, signaling a 'no'

"N-n-no! I'm fine, Kiba-kun!"

"You sure?" He asked again, this time not masking his glee. A full-blown smirk spread across his lips. Hinata's blush deepened and she could only manage a slight nod. Kiba let out a small sigh and motioned towards his cup, "Could you get me some more tea? It really helped. That is, if you don't mind?"

Hinata jumped from her seat, grabbed the cup, and disappeared into the kitchen before he could even blink. Kiba was now grinning from ear-to-ear. Something had happened between now and the last he'd seen her, but she was different. Now she was more awkward and nervous than she was before. And with Hinata, that was a good thing. Kiba decided that he would try and press his luck when she returned.

She returned with his second cup of tea, extending a shaky hand. He took it from her and began to drink, "This stuff is great. Did you make it yourself?"

"Um…yes, it's a family recipe. It's supposed to be good for colds." She answered quietly and began to fidget again.

Kiba took another sip, "You know, you didn't have to do all this, Hinata…not that I mind."

"I wanted to!" She blurted out so suddenly, that it surprised the both of them, "Er…I mean…it's my fault you're sick…and…"

Kiba frowned and turned back to his tea.

_So was it just a guilt trip then?_

He set his cup down on the nightstand, "Don't blame yourself."

Hinata shook her head; "You probably got sick from being out in the rain that day. If you had your coat on-"

"Then you'd be sick instead of me," He said, pointedly. He picked up the cup again and gulped down the last of the tea. Hinata noticed that he wasn't smiling anymore, like when she had first arrived. Did she say the wrong thing?

An awkward silenced passed over the two of them, until she spoke, "K-kiba-kun?"

Kiba looked at her and she glanced away, "Um…are you okay? You got so quiet…"

"I'm fine," Was his curt reply. He traced the rim of the cup with his claw, "I just wish you wouldn't think like that."

Hinata cocked her head to one side, "Like what?"

"That you'd rather be sick instead of me," He muttered under his breath. He saw that she was frowning now, "Oh…"

For the past couple of minutes, Kiba's thoughts had been nagging him. The idea that she had only come here out of quilt seemed highly possible. After all, Hinata was a bit of a worrywart and would definitely feel the need to repay him.

_Yup, that's it. Guess it was dumb of me to think otherwise…_

"Can I get you something else?" She whispered, trying to break the silence. Kiba simply shook his head, "You can just keep me company, I guess…"

Hinata began to fidget in her seat again. She had been debating on how to confess her feelings, but she was now worried. He had looked awfully annoyed about something for the past couple of minutes now.

"I would rather be sick, instead of you," She finally spoke. Kiba looked up at her, confusion plastered all over his face. She blushed a little, "You know, like you said."

He then remembered and frowned, "Why?"

"Well…I don't know exactly…maybe it's because I don't like seeing you sick," She tried to explain the best she could, but it she knew it wasn't helping. He still looked quite confused, but after a moment he let it pass.

He bit his lip, debating on whether or not to ask the question imprinted in his mind. He finally just decided to chance it, "So then, if you didn't want to see me sick, why'd you come here?"

Hinata froze. She could tell him now, about how she felt. She opened her mouth to say it, but nothing came out. Her nerves were getting the better of her. _Maybe in a little bit... I just need to calm down more…_

"I-I was worried," She answered, completely flustered and red. "I-I mean…well…the minute she told me…I just wanted to help…" She started to babble and he grinned. Hinata breathed a sigh of relief when she saw him smile.

Kiba was also quite relieved and the fact that he flustered her so much made him feel better. He picked up his cup and looked down into it, "Almost gone."

"Oh, I can get you some more! Or maybe something else?" She smiled at him. He told her he would like some more tea. She leaned over to take the cup from his hands.

She gently took it from him, but when she went to pull back, she felt something. She could feel his face hovering from hers. His lips were inches from her ear and she shivered when she felt his hot breath on her skin.

"Thanks," He murmured. Without even looking at his face, she could tell he was smirking. Hinata's brain was yelling; screaming at her to move away, but her legs wouldn't obey. Her heart began to thump widely in her chest, and her grip on the cup tightened. She heard a deep chuckle in her ear and finally craned her neck to look at him.

His eyes bore into hers and she felt her cheeks flush, "K-kiba-kun…I…um…"

Kiba hadn't moved an inch, so she slowly moved away, choosing to sit on the edge of the bed, "I n-need to talk to you," She whispered.

Kiba's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Hinata was never this forward, so it must have been important. Grinning again, he scooted over next to her, "About what?"

Hinata began to feel hot again, because when he had moved, he moved a little too close. His shoulder was brushed up against hers and his face was dangerously close to hers, "I-I…"

She looked up at his expectant face, which was looming close. She instinctively pushed back a little. Kiba noticed, but seemed to take it the wrong way. He moved away, and turned his back to her.

"Sorry," He muttered, not realizing that he had been pushing it. He thought that she would have been comfortable like that, but he was wrong.

"N-no, don't be sorry! It's…I actually…like-"

"I know, I know," He mumbled.

Her eyes widened slightly. He knew? He turned to her slightly, a small smile on his lips, "I know you like Naruto. I'll back off…"

A hand flew to her mouth, and she started to have that sinking feeling in her stomach. She was too late. It seemed like Kiba had made up his mind and was trying to move on. But she couldn't be mad at him for the way he was acting. After all, she had rejected him.

Hinata hopped off the bed, wanting to do nothing but run out of the room, "I should probably go…"

She started to walk away but she felt a small tug on the back of her shirt. She glanced back, to see Kiba holding onto her, "I didn't say you had to. You said you'd keep me company."

"B-but…you looked uncomfortable…"

He sighed and released his hold on her, "Just because I don't like the fact that you're in love with that idiot…well, my feelings haven't changed…I guess I just have to get used to it…"

His mumbling had gone incoherent now, but Hinata could see his cheeks were considerably pink in color. She giggled and sat back down on the bed, "Okay."

Her heart began to thump against her ribcage. He still had feelings for her, but he didn't know how she felt…

She looked over to see that his back was to her. He was staring down at the sheets below them. Hinata figured he was trying to control his temper, since the thought of Naruto probably angered him. Hinata fiddled with the sheets before deciding to move. She inched closer to him and sat with her knees folded underneath her.

A pale, shaky hand reached out and gently grabbed his shirt. Kiba instinctively turned around, surprised, "H-Hinata?"

She quickly buried her face into his back to avoid his eyes, "Um…I s-still need to t-talk to you…" She squeaked.

Kiba turned back around, sucking in a deep breath. Hinata was rarely this close to him, voluntarily anyway. He folded his hands in his lap, "S-sure."

Hinata chewed on her bottom lip, her grip on him tightening, "I don't think I like Naruto-kun anymore!" She blurted out.

Kiba turned around and she let go of him, falling back onto her backside. His eyes bore into hers; trying to figure out if she was telling the truth, "Are you serious?"

Hinata nodded meekly, "I think so…when I ran into him today my heart didn't thump out of control, I wasn't fidgety, and my face didn't turn red…well, until he felt my forehead…"

Kiba frowned, finding this whole thing unbelievable. He leaned forward, his face getting close to hers again. Hinata didn't jump this time, but still blushed. Her fingers began to intertwine as she became uneasy and her heart started acting up again.

After a moment, Kiba grinned, "You mean all the things you're doing _now_?"

Hinata's blush deepened, "Um…I guess s-so, but it's only because…because I like-"

"KIBA, I'M BACK!" A loud, female voice called from down the hall, somewhere near the entrance to the house.

Kiba practically jumped off the bed, "Shit, it's my sister!"

Hinata's eyes widened as she watched him go into a minor panic attack, "H-hana?"

Kiba scratched the back of his neck, his eyes darting around the room, "Yeah, and if she sees you up here, I'll never hear the end of it."

Hinata jumped off the bed when she heard the doorknob jiggling. Hana opened to door a crack, peering in. She stepped in when she saw Hinata and gave her a suspicious glance, "Hello, Hinata…"

Hinata quickly bowed, "Oh, h-hello! I was just leaving…um…I was just telling Kiba-kun what he missed at practice today."

Kiba quickly joined in, "Yeah, Kurenai-sensai just wanted to make sure I wouldn't fall behind, so she sent Hinata over here."

Hana gave them, what Hinata thought was, a disbelieving look, but then she shrugged. Normally, she would have argued with her brother, but since he was sick she decided to let it go.

"I'll see you later," Hinata whispered before rushing out of the room. She slammed to door to Kiba's house behind her and sucked in a deep breath.

_That was close. I've never been a very good liar but I think she bought it._

She straightened up and let out a small sigh.

_But that could've gone way better. I never told Kiba-kun what I wanted to…This day couldn't possibly get any worse…_

"Hey, it's Hinata!"

Hinata's head snapped up when she heard the familiar sound of all her kunoichi friends' voices. She looked to see that they were all running toward her. While she was standing outside Kiba's house.

_It just got worse…_


	5. Lies to Love

**Note:** This is the last chapter of Secrets. I've had fun writing this big ball of cheese and I'm glad everyone else liked it too! =D

_Disclaimer:_ I don't own Naruto or any of its characters.

Lies to Love

Hinata took a deep breath, feeling her chest begin to tighten. They were going to see her outside of Kiba's house and she'd never hear the end of it.

"Hey, Hinata!" Sakura called out louder this time, waving her arms.

Hinata looked up, taking one last breath, "H-hello."

"We've been looking everywhere for you," Ino had a huge grin plastered on her face. Hinata looked around and noticed that all of them were grinning, "What for?"

Sakura couldn't stop smiling, "We have big news! Tsunade-sama said we could have that party we've been bugging for. She we should celebrate all the hard work we've done as chuunins."

"P-party?" Hinata repeated, a bit dumbfounded. She had never been one for parties, but she didn't want to spoil her friends' excitement. She managed a small smile.

Ino raised her slender finger authoritatively, "It's more a festival, really…"

Sakura ignored the blonde and continued gushing excitedly, "Anyway, we all have to go shopping now and wanted you to come with us!"

Hinata was really only half listening by now. She chewed on her bottom lip, waiting for them to notice where they were. She waited for them to tease her unmercifully. It was only a matter of time before it got around to the whole town that she'd fallen for Kiba Inuzuka.

"Hinata-chan?" Tenten asked, waving her hand in front of the pale girls face.

Hinata jumped, and rambled out, "S-sure! Let's go!"

The three girls grabbed her arms and proceeded to drag her down the streets. Hinata stumbled behind them and tried to protest but it didn't seem to be working. So she allowed herself to be towed down the road and into a tiny shop. She straightened up, dusting herself off.

Hinata looked around, noticing that the three girls had gone starry-eyed. They were in a kimono shop. Hinata grimaced at the idea of shopping. It's not that she didn't like to shop, but the idea of people fussing over her and gawking at her, wasn't exactly pleasant.

Sakura, Ino, and Tenten immediately dove into one of the racks, sorting through all of the kimonos. Hinata lagged behind, looking more slowly. Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Ino heaving a pile of outfits to the dressing rooms.

Hinata sighed, her thoughts drifting back to Kiba's house.

_I almost told him…I can't believe it…At least I still have a chance and next time I see him I have to say it!_

Hinata's thoughts were interrupted when her eyes landed on a yellow kimono. It wasn't obnoxiously bright yellow, yet it wasn't dull either. She pulled it off the rack, her eyes scanning over the tiny, pinkish-red flowers on it. Wrapped loosely around the waist was a matching obi. It was the same color as the flowers.

"That's a cute one, Hinata-chan!" Ino said from behind her. Hinata turned around to see Ino was trying on a kimono. It was violet with large, dark blue butterflies and a dark blue obi.

Hinata clutched the kimono tighter, deciding that it would do. She didn't bother to try it on and went to pay for it. Then, she sat down, waiting for the others to finish.

Sakura went with a pale purple kimono that had crimson flowers and a matching obi. Tenten's was emerald colored and an obi that was one shade darker. When they had finished paying, Tenten turned to the group, "I'll see you guys later. I need to go find Neji."

She walked out of the shop, swinging her bag. Sakura and Ino watched her leave and then turned to Hinata.

"She's probably going with your cousin," Sakura commented nonchalantly. Ino nodded in agreement and then added, "We should probably start asking around too. You know, before all the other girls hear about it."

Hinata stiffened and then quickly asked, "Who are you going to ask?" Anything to keep the focus off of herself...

Ino looked thoughtful for a moment before answering, "Probably Shika or Chouji…"

Sakura frowned. Her first choice wasn't currently in the village. She let out a small sigh, letting her shoulders slump, "Naruto…"

Hinata noticed Sakura seemed to shudder at the thought of going with Naruto. Hinata giggled lightly, clutching her bag tightly. She already knew who she was going to ask tomorrow at practice.

((The Next Day))

Hinata hopped out of bed the minute the sun was up, pulled on her boots and raced out the door. She could feel her legs begin to ache with exhaustion because she was moving as fast as possible to get to practice. Her heart was practically in her throat, but she didn't care.

She made it to the clearing, feeling her heart flutter when she saw him. His back was to her, and he was staring intently at the training posts. Hinata looked around and noticed that their sensei and Shino had not arrived yet.

_Perfect!_ She thought and proceeded towards him. She walked up behind him and smiled a little, "Kiba-kun?"

Kiba turned around, somewhat startled by his teammates voice, "Hey."

He was grinning, as usual, and Hinata was thankful that he didn't seem to notice the faint blush that had crept onto her cheeks. She decided that the best way to get this over with was to be quick, before her nerves got the better of her.

"Um…Kiba-kun?" She began, twiddling her thumbs.

Kiba looked down at her, noticing her serious expression. He presented her with his full attention, "What?"

"Um…H-have you heard the news?" She stuttered.

Kiba scratched the back of his neck and shook his head. Hinata looked down at her feet and mustered up the courage to continue, "T-Tsunande-sama said we c-could have a festival here…"

Kiba's eyebrows shot up in surprise. She gave him a quick, shy glance before looking away again, "A-and I was wondering if…"

Hinata could feel the question on the tip of her tongue but it wouldn't come out. The anticipation that had etched its way onto his face was evident. She took a deep breath and squeaked out, "I-ifyou'dgowithme?"

Kiba felt himself blush to the roots of his hair. His eyes widened in shock, but he couldn't have been happier, albeit a bit confused, "S-sure."

She sucked in another relaxing breath, just as Kurenai arrived. She gave the duo a perplexed look because they were standing there, awkwardly trying to avoid eye contact, and blushing like crazy.

She decided to ignore that and get their practice started.

Throughout their training, Hinata could feel his confused glances focused on her. She was almost thankful when the practice ended. Kurenai dismissed them with a curt nod. Hinata was just about to get on her way when she felt someone grab her arm.

It was Kiba, naturally. She gulped and looked up at him shyly, "Um?"

He smiled down at her, calming her down a bit, "I'll pick you up at like six, okay?"

Hinata returned his smile, her cheeks glowing a faint pink color. She nodded eagerly and her released her arm. She watched him walk off, and noticed a faint skip in his step. She giggled to herself before beginning to make her way back home.

((The Eve of The Festival))

Hinata raced from the main hall towards her room, nearly knocking a few people down on the way. Sakura, Ino and Tenten had just finished a visit, to show her how to do her hair and makeup. She had gotten so caught up with her friends that she didn't notice what time it was. Kiba would be arriving any minute.

She practically slammed her door shut and threw open her closet. Hinata snatched the kimono and pulled it on. She adjusted it so it fit right on her figure, poking at herself in the mirror. Hinata pouted while examining herself. The kimono was a little more low-cut then she would have like, but not much she could do now.

She ran a brush through her silky raven hair. She pulled it into a low ponytail, similar to how Neji wore his long hair. She secured it with a dark pink ribbon.

Next Hinata reached for the makeup that her friends left for her. She swept a soft pink color across her cheeks with a brush. Then, she thickened her lashes with the black mascara wand. Finally, she slicked a strawberry flavored lip-gloss on.

Hinata gave herself one final examination before there was a tap on her door. Her sister poked her head in, "Your friend is here."

Hanabi gave her older sister a bemused look before shutting the door. Hinata pulled on her sandals and ran to greet Kiba. She slid the door open and looked down, gasping for breath.

"Hinata?" She heard his gruff voice above her and she forced herself to stand up straight. Her cheeks went red when she got full sight of him.

He was wearing a navy blue yukata, secured by a white sash around his midsection. Hinata thought that the color looked really good on him, "H-hey…"

Kiba grinned at her, trying to hide his blush. He tried to think of something to say but he only blurted out, "You look nice…"

Hinata chuckled and replied, "So do you."

It was nice to know that he was just a nervous as she was. Hinata bid her sister goodbye before following her teammate out the door. As they walked down the street, toward the festival, Kiba couldn't help but steal a few glances of his date.

'_Nice' was an understatement…_ He thought, debating on what to do next. His eyes fell to her hand, which was plastered to his side. He slowly inched closer and took her hand in his.

Hinata's cheeks reddened upon contact, but she thought it felt nice. Kiba waited for her to let go, or push him away, like she did before, but when she didn't he let out a content sigh.

"There it is," Hinata whispered excitedly. Ahead of them, Kiba could see bright lights in the sky. As they approached the festival, the sounds of the excited crowd got louder. Multiple, bright colored paper lights were strung from rooftops. Shopkeepers had opened up stands, selling various foods or prizes.

Hinata looked around, overwhelmed by it all. Her eyes locked onto a giant, stuffed panda bear handing from one of the stands. She thought it was quite cute.

Kiba followed her gaze and smiled, "Want to try that one?"

Hinata nodded and they approached the stand. Kiba saw a pile of three balls in front of him. Across, in the back, was a stack of bottles. He guessed you had to try and knock over all of them to win.

He dug into his pocket, fishing around for some change. Hinata's eyes widened when he pulled the coins out.

"Y-you don't have to!" She protested, tugging on his sleeve. Kiba only responded with a wave of his hand and placed the money on the counter. The owner scooped it up and moved out of the way.

Kiba picked up one of the balls, aiming carefully. He pulled his arm back, winding up and releasing as hard as he could. Hinata held her breath, as the ball spun through the air and made direct contact with the bottles.

And bounced right off.

"What the hell?!" Kiba growled, snatching up another ball, "I'll get it this time."

He repeated the same motion, only this time; he threw the ball even harder. Hinata giggled when the ball bounced off again. Kiba glared at the shopkeeper before picking up the last ball.

There was no reason why he shouldn't be able to knock those things down. He wound up again, released, and watched with baited breath. The ball collided with one of the bottles, tipping one over.

Kiba faltered and grimaced, "Just one?"

Hinata smiled and grabbed his hand, "It's okay Kiba-kun…Maybe we still get a prize?"

The shopkeeper rummaged around and pulled out a mini replica of the same bear Hinata was eyeing up before. She took it from him and smiled. When she looked back at her date, he still didn't look very pleased with himself.

"It's really cute. Arigato, Kiba-kun…" She smiled shyly at him.

Kiba stopped pouting and returned her smile, "N-no problem…"

He took her hand again and started to drag her down the road. Hinata awkwardly loped along; trying to catch up with has larger strides. Thankfully, he stopped when a certain smell assaulted his nose.

"You smell that?" Kiba asked, his nose twitching.

Hinata wrinkled her nose and shook her head. He gave her an apologetic look, "Sorry. Forgot your nose isn't as good as mine. I smell food."

Hinata giggled, "Then lets go."

Kiba led her towards the smell that was driving him insane. He soon found the culprit and slapped his money on the counter, ordering three helpings of whatever they were serving. Hinata waited contently by his side, still holding his hand. Her eyes began to wander while they waited for the food. Kiba stood there patiently, although Hinata could hear his foot tapping.

Her eyes caught sight of her friends across from them, waiting by another stand. Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, and Naruto were all standing together.

_I guess Ino-chan decided to invite Shikamaru-kun…_She thought, a small smile appearing on her face. Her eyes then fell on Sakura. Hinata thought the pink-haired kunoichi looked really pretty. Her hair was pulled back into a messy bun, strands of pink falling around her perfectly made-up face. Hinata thought she was practically glowing.

_Naruto-kun is very lucky…_

Suddenly, the warmth around her hand disappeared. Her eyes enlarged and she turned around to face Kiba. He was staring down at her, and she tried to read his expression. His eyes were lowered so she couldn't see them, but his chest was heaving up and down. His mouth had curved down into a slight frown.

Hinata could tell he was angry, "K-kiba-kun?"

She desperately tried to think of what she could have done wrong in the last thirty seconds. He lifted his head and Hinata could see that his black eyes were coated with a mix of suspicion and misery.

"So that's why," He practically growled.

Hinata could only let out a confused, "Huh?"

His hand curled into a fist. Now she was playing dumb?

He had seen the whole display. The way she smiled at him still. The envious look she had given Sakura. He had been trying to figure out why the _hell_ she wanted to go with him to the festival instead of Naruto and now he knew.

What she told him a few days ago had been bull shit. She still had feelings for Naruto. She still wasn't over Naruto, but she'd settle for him. She would take pity on him and go with him instead. Maybe even make Naruto jealous at the same time.

"Don't give me that," Kiba spat out. The look on her face made his stomach churn. He hated making her upset, but he couldn't take it anymore, "This was for _him, _wasn't it?!"

He pointed an accusing finger at the blonde across from them. Hinata was beginning to panic. People were starting to stare at them. She had no clue where Kiba had gotten this idea. She Hinata reached out to grab his sleeve, but he pulled away.

"Kiba-kun…"

But he abruptly turned on his heel and raced off. Hinata called out after him, but her knees buckled beneath her and she fell to the ground. Her mind flashed back to her dream from a few nights ago.

Hinata shook her head. She hadn't lost her chance. She _couldn't_ have. Not again.

But he still didn't trust her. Kiba didn't believe that her feelings for Naruto were gone. She supposed he had every right to believe that because her feelings for the blonde had been so strong.

But they were gone now and she loved her teammate. _I guess he doesn't know that still…asking him here wasn't enough._

"Hinata-chan?" A soft voice asked from above her.

Hinata looked up to see Sakura, Ino, Shikamaru, and Naruto standing near her. Sakura was hovering over her and had placed a hand on Hinata's shoulder.

"Oh…um, I guess I must look pretty silly sitting in the middle of the road," Hinata pulled herself up and dusted herself off.

Sakura frowned, "Are you okay? We saw the whole thing…what happened?"

Hinata lowered her eyes, trying to keep herself from bursting into tears, "He just got a little mad…"

"A little?" Shikamaru scoffed and Hinata frowned. Ino glared, elbowed him in the ribs and hissed, "Be quiet!"

"I'm going to go look for him," Hinata said, turning to leave in the direction Kiba had.

Naruto took a step after her, "Want us to come? I'd like to give that dog a piece of my mind. You don't leave a girl by herself like that…"

Hinata blushed and slowly shook her head, "N-no thank you, Naruto-kun. I need to do this on my own."

Hinata took off after him, but she was limited in movement because of her kimono. She activated her byakugen to try and locate him, but she wasn't having any luck. Hinata's search led her to the training area, far from the festival.

She felt her energy drained from her body, so she decided to rest. Hinata sat down in the tall grass, sucking in deep breaths. She looked up at the stars beginning to form above her. Hinata forced herself to push him out of her thoughts for the moment, desperately trying to shake his angry outburst out of her mind.

Suddenly, she was torn from her thoughts by the sound of a rustling near by. Her fingers curled around the blades of grass beneath her, "K-kiba-kun?"

A shadowy figure darted through the trees. Hinata felt frozen in place, but her mind was screaming at her to run.

"W-who…" Her voice gave out as the figure appeared. The man was dressed in head to toe black, with a familiar crimson ribbon at his waist. His arm was in a white sling, "Remember me, sweetie?" He cooed.

Hinata glared at him, "You're the one who kidnapped me."

He laughed, "Very good. Now I suppose you'll be asking me why you can't move."

"You're doing that?" She gaped, her eyes wide.

He smirked, "It's a special technique. I've drained all your chakra. Your too weak to move right now, so I wouldn't try."

It was true. No matter how hard she struggled, Hinata couldn't get to her feet. The man inched closer to her and she blurted out, "W-what do you want?"

"Well, let's see. You spoiled our plans. You escaped. Oh, and lets not forget that your friend's dumb mutt damaged my arm."

Hinata's eyes fell on the sling, "Akamaru-kun did that?"

The man frowned, "Yeah. I can't move it, but since he's not here I guess I'll settle for taking my revenge out on you. He did seem pretty attached to you…"

Hinata winced. _Yeah…did._

"It's not hard to see why though. You're pretty cute."

He took a step towards her, his lips curling into another grin. Hinata began to get feeling back in her legs and she scrambled to her feet. He glowered at her, "What the hell?"

She didn't waste anytime and rushed at him, her palm smacking into his chest. She gasped when he snatched up her wrist. Hinata winced, realizing that the chakra surrounding her hand had been rather weak.

_I guess I wasn't fully recovered._

She yelped when she felt herself being lifted off the ground. The man tossed her aside like she was a twig. Hinata tumbled to the floor in a heap and rolled to a stop. The man continued to advance towards her, "Now then, lets try this again."

He was inches away when she finally sat up. Hinata tried to jump up, but the wind had been knocked out of her from that last blow. He was going to get her.

_He's going to kill me…_

Just when she was about to squeeze her eyes shut, a dark blur flew threw the air and smashed into the man's side. The man collapsed and the blur stood over him, snarls ripping from its chest.

Hinata's eyes widened when she realized what had saved her, "K-kiba-kun…"

Kiba had repositioned himself between Hinata and the enemy. He was half crouched, like he was going to pounce the minute the guy moved. The villain struggled to his feet, but the minute he was up, Kiba jumped. He landed on his opponent, pinning him to the ground. He raised a fist and swung at the man's face. He punched him square in the noise, all the while growling ferociously.

Hinata could do nothing but watch helplessly as Kiba began to pound the guys face into mush. She had never seen him like this. He truly seemed like an animal, like the wolf he was always compared to. She had never seen him this angry before and it scared her.

"Kiba-kun…" She whispered hoarsely.

He didn't hear her and continued his assault.

She cleared her throat and tried again but there was still no response. Hinata sucked in a deep breath, squeezed her eyes shut, and screamed, "KIBA!"

He turned around at the sound of her voice. Kiba scrambled over to her and crouched down beside her.

"Hinata…" He breathed. Hinata sensed relief in his voice, "Did he hurt you?"

Hinata nodded dumbly, sucking in deep breaths. She felt like her chest was going to burst and she would break down in tears. He was probably going to walk away, once he remembered he was mad at her.

Kiba turned around, glowering and snarling at his unconscious opponent, "You…damn scumbag…" Was all he could manage to mutter.

He turned back to her and noticed that her eyes were welling up with tears. He closed his eyes and let out a small sigh, "This is all my fault. Now you're freaked out."

Hinata raised her head, letting the tears fall freely down her cheeks, "So you're not mad?"

He chuckled and ruffled her hair, "Nope. And I never should have gotten mad in the first place. Like I said yesterday, I just have to get used to the fact that you simply want to be my friend…That was probably the dumbest thing I could've done..."

Hinata squeezed her eyes shut and started crying even harder. Kiba's eyes widened in alarm, "H-Hinata? What did I do?!"

"Y-you're wrong." She sniffed.

"Huh?"

"I've been trying to tell you that I don't want to be your friend. I want _more_. You ran away before…got so mad. Then, I thought I was going to be killed and I would never see you again…I thought you didn't want me anymore…" She babbled, her head falling against his chest.

Kiba's heart practically jumped into his throat as he listened to her. He wasn't sure if she was just talking crazy because she was so scared, but he didn't care. Everything she was saying was music to his ears.

Kiba pulled away and cupped her face in his hands. He gently brushed away her tears with his thumbs, "This feels sort of like deja-vu, huh?"

Hinata blinked, "What?"

Kiba grinned, trying to cheer her up and distract her from her crazy thoughts, "Think about it. A few days ago, you ran away to here and I came after you. We held each other like this, well that was mostly on my part, but still. We're doing the same thing now."

Hinata giggled and fell into his chest, "Thank you, Kiba-kun."

Hinata was glad he had lightened the mood. She felt so comfortable that she could have fallen asleep right then and there.

He cupped her cheeks in his hands again; "Maybe I should take you home?" He murmured, "But first…"

Hinata's eyes widened as he leaned forward. She let out a tiny gasp as his lips pressed lightly against hers.

It wasn't at all what she had expected. He was surprisingly gentle, considering the beastly act she had just witnessed. He molded his lips very carefully against hers, careful not to pass any boundaries. All in all, it was very sweet.

He pulled away after a moment, allowing them both to catch their breath. Kiba enjoyed the frazzled expression on her face, "Ready to go? I'll come back for that dirtbag later. He's not going anywhere."

Hinata could only nod, but let out a yelp when he pulled her up and into his arms. He was carrying her bridal-style, "Kiba-kun!"

"What?" He pouted but let her down anyway.

However, Hinata stumbled when she tried to walk, so he got his way. Her head was spinning, probably because of the kiss. Not to mention, she had just released her biggest secret.

He carried her through the woods and back towards the village. Once they were back in town, Kiba set her down and let her try walking again. Hinata managed but still held his hand.

When they reached the Hyuuga mansion, Kiba looked down at her unwillingly. He tenderly pushed back her bangs, "I love you, Hinata, but you already know that."

Hinata smiled and squeezed his hand, "That's what happens when you let your biggest secret out of the bag. I love you too."

He returned her smile and watched her disappear through the gates, his heart still thumping in his ears, and his mind replaying those words over and over again.

((The End))


End file.
